Hi, My budget is 700$ Max. I am looking for a bike with a good frame worth keeping for later component upgrades. I have never owned a mountain bike. My experience is with bmx/dirt bikes. I have been riding trails with a bmx successfully for years. I can handle pretty hairy trails but i am no expert. I like to take jumps and steep declines and generally push my self to the limit. Again I am no expert. But the bottom line is I would like to riding the expert trails and take some jumps here and there. I dont plan on visiting any dirt jump parks.
Because of my price range I am looking primarily at hardtails.
My confusion begins with the style of bike i should be looking for. I am concerned that a XC bike will fall apart on me, that a FR bike will be too heavy or the geometry will be to specific for my needs, and that a AM bike is too expensive!
Could you please help me with maybe 2 or 3 bikes from any category you think I should be looking at?
Since you say you're comfortable with BMX bikes, you should look at a dirtjumper... or a really aggro style hardtail with slackened geometry. The Cove Stiffee just might be your ticket ot a Transition Trail Or Park
Since you say you're comfortable with BMX bikes, you should look at a dirtjumper... or a really aggro style hardtail with slackened geometry. The Cove Stiffee just might be your ticket ot a Transition Trail Or Park
He wants to tide expert trails and he doesn't want to visit dirtjump parks... so why get a dirtjumper?
Go used and find a decent used bike to start with... maybe a Kona Stinky or a Specialized Bighit or try to find a used All Mountain bike, which is more difficult to find.
What about a used Kona Coiler? Not a bad place to start. If you are going HT, there are TONS of options. The STP is actually a decent call. It may not be the cheapest bike out there, but you will keep it for years - Sinister Ridge. Look for something with a Pike up front.
STP are on ebay and on closeout from giant if you get the SS you can get one for 700 I got an 09 stp SS for 700 but im tight with my shop and have spent alot of money there.
Since you say you're comfortable with BMX bikes, you should look at a dirtjumper... or a really aggro style hardtail with slackened geometry. The Cove Stiffee just might be your ticket ot a Transition Trail Or Park
I used to FR my old steelhead and had a blast. Drops, rock gardens, jumps, I did it all. Get a hard tail and get your skills up and save $$$ for a nice fully.
700 is pushing it but you should be able to find a used Kona Stinky or coiler in that range. A good pedaling bike but weighs around 40 pounds....you will like it going downhill
Thanks for your response guys. So far you have suggested an stp and a bunch of other bikes that are 2&3X my budget! haha. The STP jumps out at me and I have also considered the GF Mullet. Both of these are similar bikes from what i can tell but I have yet to test them or any bike of this style. Are these bikes Dirt Jumpers? Like I said I wont be visiting any dirt parks. Based on my description above would a Mullet or an STP be good. IE expert trails with drops and jumps?
That's what I said but everyone kept suggesting dirtjumpers... you may find a Kona Stinky/Coiler used for 700 bucks, but if you want to be sure then seek for All Mountain hardtails, like a Jamis Komodo.
This is something I think the industry really needs to focus on.
Its all well and good to have blinged out bikes, but there needs to be a quality FR bike for under a grand. Doesn't have to be special, just has to work. I think its going to become more of an issue in the future the way prices are going up...
That's what I said but everyone kept suggesting dirtjumpers... you may find a Kona Stinky/Coiler used for 700 bucks, but if you want to be sure then seek for All Mountain hardtails, like a Jamis Komodo.
I think I see where you are going. You seem to be pointing me to both all mountain and freeride bikes and away from dirt jumper bikes (ie stp ss "single speed")...is that correct?
With $700 you could score yourself a pretty good FR hardtail. learn how to ride, save your money and later upgrade to a full-suspension. I think for $700 the only full-sus bike you could find would be clapped-out, piece of crap.
I just built this for around $600.
New frame, fork, used brakes, wheels, etc.
with the way the economy is going u should be able to pick up a sweet ride on the cheap. i just got a Yeti ASX frame and fork and was able to built up with parts laying around and bought some used parts for about $600 total. if ur willing to look and take ur time buying you could get a good deal. By the way the ASX rides takes hits, corners, pedals like a dream.
IMO if you are worried that an XC bike will fall apart on you then you probly wont be happy on a HT doing what your going to do to it.
I would check out a used Ironhorse Yakuza Kumicho on Pinkbike.
I'm seeing them go for your price range complete. solid simple single picot design with DH/FR angles. you wont be enjoying your climbs but after you experience the joy of shuttling with a pickup truck and riding lift access parks you wont care.
dude the guy has been riding downhill on a 20", any decent hardtail is going to feel like a dh sled compared to that, a jamis komodo or somthing similar with a pike in front should be plenty, but don't get a pure dirt jump bike the forks are mostly useless for offroad use, and it wont be much better than your bmx.
my friend got a yeti dirt jumper with a fox fork for about 750 he got it from a guy that didnt want it and he sold it. its a nice bike. he is also just crazy on it and he just goes all out on it and it takes it. it is kinda heavy tho around 35 pounds but you pay for what you get. they are hard to find but if you do find one in your range i would recommend it.
If your looking into doing expert trails you'd be a lot better off on a full suspension. Look used, Iron Horse 6 or 7 Point, Specialized Big Hit, Or Giant Reign X or Glory. However these may easily be above 700 even used if in decent enough condition. Konas can be found cheaper, but that's defiantly not my bike of preference.
Thanks everyone. A lot of good bikes you have mentioned here. But also a lot of different styles. So far I can tell that i dont want a XC or a DJ. As far as full suspension my budget limits my choices. The Iron horses in my price range look nice but I have yet to read reviews. Weight, someone mentioned would be an issue coming from bmx. It is hard to distinguish between DJ and freerides. For instance is a Mullet a freeride or a dirtjumper? Does anybody think this would be a suitable bike? My lbs is getting some in soon. So confused:madman:
IMO you have to decide what style you want to ride. If you want kind of "freestyle" bike for any purpose, some tricks, descents, low drops, DJ trails, urban riding (I don't mean bunnywhips, but some gaps or barspins), skateparks - take a FR hardtail like Norco Bigfoot. If you want to ride FR/DH trails, big drops, etc. you'd better take a FS bike like used Big Hit. But I think that for technical stuff you can use your BMX, so the best decision is buying a FS. BTW I ride BMX too, and also think to buy a FR FS bike for weekends, leaving my BMX for everyday evening street riding.
Someone post that picture of that burly freeride hardtail with the supermonster on it. 300 mm of travel up front, zero out back. Hilarious.
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